Fruit peeler



June s, 1937. A. GAMBlNO 2,083,368

FRUI T PEELER Filed MaICh 9,A 1936 IN VEN TOR. mc de@ amb//m @Y )iff/M1 A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 8, 1937 ;g1e;-.f,;;

UNITED Fatjrr PELER Amedeo Gambino, New` York', N. Application Marche, 193e` seal No. 67,993

la claims.,"(cl.11f1ta06y 1 y the following description, accompanying draw- My invention relates toimprovements in cutting devices for removing the rind from the outer layers of fruits. `-One object of myr invention isto provide an improved'means for obtainingand removing the very outermost layersand the essential oils thereof, of said fruits. It is known that theoutermost layers .of certainfruits, such.

as oranges and lemons, contain certain essential oils which are desirable for use as flavoring and .10 for other purposes.

moving an increased area ofv said outer layer,. in strip form, inone passage of the peeler over.,

thevsurface of the said fruit. The means previously available were not efficient of operation',

and if a fairly thin and long piece of peelwere desired, only a small area of the curved surface of the fruitcould be` removed Withone stroke.

Still another object is to provide a means for removing the outermost layer ofthe fruit without `removing anyof the body or pulp` of, said fruit nor otherwise injuring the completeness of said body or pulp.V rIn removing the skin of fruits by means of previous devices rit is jgenerally found that some small cuts are made linto the body or pulp, causing loss of juices and otherwise injuring the fruit.

A further vobject is removing an adjustably predetermined thickness of said outer layer of fruit. With devices previously available, no definite predetermined thickness of material could be removed; the thickness removed depending mainly on the skill of the operator in manually varying the pressure or force needed, and in most cases, being uncontrollably irregularin depth.

Another object ,is to provide a cutting device for removing the surface` ofv fruits in which device the cutting edge orblade vmay be removed for thorough cleaning, sharpening, or replacement. Indevices previously available, the cutting edge has been -irremovably attached to the entire device, making cleaning or sharpening difcult, and replacement impossible without discarding the entire device.

These and other objects will be apparent from to provide a means for ing and claims of the improved preferred construction .andnovel arrangement of parts, it being, vhowever, understood, that no limitations arenecessarily made to thea-precise ystructural details therein. In the drawing,

vFigure 1 is a top plan View of the device.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of my invention.

Figure 3 is an end elevation ofthe left end of my device.

.Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 inFig. 1. v

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of my device.

Figure 6is a fragmentary top vplanfview ofan embodiment of myv device.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on line 1-'I in Fig. 6. f y 1 l j I Figure 8 is a kfragmentary bottom view showing a blade fastening means.v f. n

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 in Fig. 8.

Figures 10 and l1 are top plan views of other forms of blades.

Figure 12 is a sectional view of bodiment of my device..

My device consists of a frame (I0) having an arcuate extension (I I), rigidly attached thereto either removablyvor as an integral part of said frame; a cutting device or blade (I2); and means (I4)k for removably land adjustably retaining the said blade in a Vrigid, arcuate form against the arcuate extension.

The handle (I5) as illustrated, may be constructed so as to provide a convenient means for holding the device when vin operation, and may have a backing (I6) attached thereto by means of screws (I1) or the like. The handle may beconstructedinany other desirable or convenient form, shape or manner.

Thearcuate extension (I I) `has-integral therewith a front strip (III),'a rear strip (II2), the said front and rear strips being rigidly attached to each other by a bridge (I I3) at the ends thereof furthest from the handle. A slot (I8), suiiiciently wide for the material removed from the fruit to pass .therethrough without any interference, is provided betweenthe front and rear strips. The front strip iscurved longitudinally so that it may adaptably engage a satisfactorily large areaV on the curvedsurfacepfthe fruit;y 'I'he leading edge (III2) of the front strip is bevelled on the concave side at an angle adapted to engage the surface of the fruit. The rear strip is curved so that its ends engage the bridge (I I3) and the handle (I5) tangent to the same another emplanes lto which the respective ends of the front strip are tangent. ,The curvature of the strips differs suiciently so that the front strip is relatively higher than the rear strip, suiiiciently so for the convenient passa-ge of the removed material between the vunder `surface (I I I3) of the front strip and the upper surface (I2I) of the blade. The leading edge (I |22) of the rear strip is bevelled on the convex side at such convenient angle that it maydirect the removed material upward through `theslot (I8). The blade (I2) is of such size and general shape that no sharp edges or corners may protrude beyond the front or rear strip, the bridge,A or the handle, in such manner as to endanger-the operator. The slots (|22) permitv the blade todbe held adjustably and rigidly against the concave surface 2|) of the rear arcuate strip-by the f@ screws. The blade may be moved backwardor forward, and thence held in the desiredfposition by` tightening. theVv said-screws. The purpose of this adjustment of thej-blade is-to adjustably lo-f cate-ther cuttingr edge so that uponthe angular-v engagement vof thesUrface of the fruit withfther 25 bevelled leading edge (III2) of the'front strip, the cutting edge (|23) will be at the desired depth under the surface ofV the fruit to remove the=desired .thickness ofskin. When in this position, andthe leading edge andthe cutting edge are simultaneously moved forward, a piece of rind of the desired Athickness will be removedwand passed upward through the` slot between front and rear strips in the direction of the arrow (30.). .The devicemay be' disassembled intosimple parts easily adapted to thorough cleaning, by removing all removable' means of attachment, such as the screws. manently aflxedsinv a= desired vnon-adjustable .po-

sition bymeans of rivets oir-depressed tongues 40 formeddntegralotthe extension.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure A6 shows l the deviceconstructed so that it may be operated i with a motion either awayfrom the body of the operator," v'or toward the said operator, in either the right hand or the left hand. Figure '7 indicates thati'when ythe device is moved toward .the

right `or left,tl1e bevelled leading edge (III2)-` will-engage the-surfacey of the fruit-at such anv angle that the'cutting edge-(|23) 4may remove the desiredi:thickness-off-peel, which 4peel Will then be directed-throughfthe slot (IBL) in'fthe direction of the arrowCBMz-frlt is seen from Figure 6 thatboth cutting edges may be provided for in one blade (I2) Iwhichgm'ay be adjustable as the blade inA the construction first described in Figures 1;-2, 3,4, and 5`;.or the cutting edges may be provided forby more than? one` blade (|2a) anyor :all of which 1may beind-ividually` adjusty able.

Thef device may "be Aso constructed with adjustableblade or'blades thaty in the ysame impleg ment, means areavailable -to remove `ii-rst theoutermost layer of Afruit such'fasof.y the citrus varieties, so that suchfoutermostlayer may be 6,5 vutilized as desired;` ar-id-"then'to--remove the innerlayer-of the rind, which inner 'layer-isgenerall-y l of a different thickness-from theoutermost layer, thus leaving available vthe pulp ofthe fruit with the naturallcoveringthereof removed. The de- `vice maythus-.beadapted toVv accommodate dify The blade may also be pers -ferent species having rinds of dferentthicknesses, or to accommodate one or more layers of .the same species, such layers having different "cutting edges (|23) and slots (|22) enabling this type of blade to be used in the embodiments of the-invention as illustrated 14n Figures 1 to 5, and 15 .alsoin the .embodiment, to be hereinafter described, shown invFigure 12. This blade, with slots 'omitted-may be used in the construction shown in Figure 8. The slot (|229) may beprovided to enable the blade to be inserted by slid- 20 ing the right hand side under the head ifV one oiY the screws (Il), and then inserting the other screw-through the left fhand slot and intoengagement with the extension. i

A purposel of this type of blade is to permit'in- 25 sertion of the blade into the Yframe, to be rigidly-` and adjustably held therein, without thenecessity of removing bothfscrews `before the said insertion.- Similarly, with the construction of the blade as shown in Figure l1, the right hand screw 30 may be replaced by a headed post (HI), the` said post being rigidly attached to the' framev (H3). 4Inithis embodiment, the blade may beK sl-idnunder said head by meansfof the horizontal slot L(|229) and the 'screw' (I4) 'inserted through 35 thehole (I2-2b)` or the like.

Ilclaim: U y1."I'n a fruit peeling device, a member having a longitudinallyicurved varcuate extension, 'hav-l v inga longitudinal slotftherein dividing the exten- 40 sionii-nto-frontand rear arcuate strips, the "cur-jr vature of the front stripfbeing-gr'eater than the curvature of the back -strip and Vintersecting IVeach other acljacentfitheV endsf'of fthe slot, the "front strip -also having anup'wardl'y bevelled outer edgey 454 adapted to engage the outer surface of the-fruit) and` a spring-able cuttingf blade `mounted ilush vwith :the rear arcuate' strip-and conforminglto the curvature thereofpsaidblade being secured at its ends to the extension adjacent the ends 4(if 50:y the slotfand mounted` with its cutting edgeparallf' lel` to the rear edge oi'fthe slot and Aadjustable'relative thereto. 'f y2.y .In a fruit peeling device, a memberihaving a longitudinall-yrcurved arcuate extension `having 55 longitudinal slots therein dividing the extension into at least one front and aback arcuate strips,r the curvatureof said-frontstrip being 'greater than the curvature ofthe back'strip and inter-E secting each other adjacent the ends ofthe slotA 60 therebetween, thefront 4strip also fhaving an up"- wardly bevelled outerfedge adapted to engagel the outer surface of the -fruit,fand a springablecutting blade mounted flush with the backarcu-` -saidblad'e 'being secured'at its ends to the exten-` sion' adjacent theendshof said slot andrnounted" with itsl cuttingdge parallell to the edges of lsaid-j backv strip and adjustable' relative thereto.V

f1 AMEDEO GAMBINO. 70'Y 

